A Winter's Tale
by SilentG
Summary: Super!Alex shows off her mad driving skillz, then masculine!Bobby gets to first base up against the back of the Explorer. B/A WAFF S10 compliant.
1. THE KINDLY SHEPHERD

**Author:** SilentG  
**Title:** A Winter's Tale  
**Fandom:** LO:CI  
**Pairing:** B/A  
**Rating:** T for a bit of swearing & suggestive scenes  
**Spoilers:** One tiny one  
**Archive:** Anywhere – no need to ask – just attribute, and let me know if possible  
**Disclaimer:** Not mine  
**Summary: **Super!Alex shows off her mad driving skillz, then hyper-masculine!Bobby has his way with her up against the hood of the Explorer. B/A WAFF S10 compliant.

**A/N 1:** This was literally the 2nd B/A scenario I ever came up with, almost exactly 4 years ago. It's taken me this long to come up with the context!

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**CHAPTER ONE: THE KINDLY SHEPHERD**

"Eames?"

The early-model compact car laden with luggage and furniture was drifting gently across several snow-covered lanes of the Palisades about 20 car lengths behind them, the driver slumped over.

"Oh shit!" Immediately spotting what he was looking at, Eames threw on her hazards, rolled down the driver's side window and began slowing down. She was doing just what he expected her to, risky though it was: trying to connect the front bumper of the errant vehicle with the rear end of the SUV. With her head and both shoulders leaning all the way out, her hair lifted and tossed and mingled with the snow, and she miraculously steered one-handed with her other hand on the emergency brake in case they started to spin out.

"Where are we?" Bobby was surprised to realise that he hadn't been paying attention to their progress through the monstrous weather. They'd spent the past two days in New Jersey pursuing a suspect in a complicated stalking case. After confronting their suspect at his mom's house this morning, the young man had quickly confessed, leaving them with the easy choice to surrender him to the custody of the locals.

It wasn't like him to throw up his hands and say _sure, you take him_, but as soon as the local law enforcement had flashed their arrest warrants, all he could think about was the long, cozy drive back with Alex. Frankly, it had been in the back of his mind since the moment they'd left New York.

"About six miles past the Permont Road Exit," he heard her say.

He'd only seen the little car because of hastily glancing at the driver's side mirror when his partner almost caught him staring at her boobs. Feeling like a skeevy teen for thinking about the effects of the cold on her anatomy had not stopped him from looking. And drooling a little, to be honest.

He grabbed the shortwave and his cell phone simultaneously, dialing 9-1-1 while he radioed. The car behind them continued to drift, and they continued to slow… though not by much… as Eames eased off the gas while she attempted to steer the SUV into the path of the errant car.

The radio produced nothing, but he quickly connected with an operator on the phone. He hit the button to put her on speaker. "This is Detective Goren, NYPD badge 4376, we have a ten-forty-six southbound six or seven miles south of the Permont Road Exit on the Palisades, out-of-control car and probable medical emergency."

"Where is the vehicle at this moment? How many occupants and what is their status?" Bobby tried not to roll his eyes at the pedantic delivery, and irrationally wished he could just broadcast to the operator a streaming visual of what they were experiencing. _Don't you realise my partner is attempting a very risky manoeuvre right now? _He wanted to ask.

"The vehicle is drifting between the two outermost southbound lanes. It's impossible to confirm who's inside. My partner is going to stop the vehicle using ours." His attention had been glued to Alex throughout the conversation, and he saw her smirk and toss her head at his confident statement about their plans. Of course it was what she was going to do. What else would she do?

"Proceed with caution, Detective," the voice said. "Highway emergency responders are stretched thin today, we don't need more casualties."

"We don't either," he heard his partner mutter.

He answered a couple more questions, and the operator said help was 18 minutes away. He was just agreeing to stay on the line to give updates when he felt the SUV swerve sharply. "Brace yourself Bobby," Alex called out, and he glanced down to reassure himself she had her seatbelt on.

The contact bump wasn't too bad, but the Explorer immediately began to skid as the weight of the extra vehicle overcame the tires' grip on the icy road.

Bobby could almost feel himself in Alex's body, tightening her thigh, bum and core muscles as she steered into the skid as best she could. Recovering control in poor weather was second nature to her, but managing the task while trying not to jackknife what was essentially an unsecured 5th wheel load was another story. She held her breath as she continued to adjust their trajectory, engaging the hand brake for a hard correction when they almost went into the ditch. She was an _animal_, working the three-tonne, eight-wheeled beast like it was no more than a misbehaving Pez dispenser. His lizard brain drifted, imagining grabbing her, pulling her into his lap and nuzzling all her clothes off. The notion of Alex naked, straddling his lap and cuddled in his Parka made him gasp quietly. "What?" The operator asked.

"No-nothing."

"Hold on," Alex said through gritted teeth. She'd lowered the power window in the back of the SUV and now it was Bobby's turn to watch the little car bearing down on them from behind.

"We're losing her," he muttered as he saw the angle of the car behind them change.

"I can see that," his partner snapped, and the operator tsked at her tone. Alex hit the gas for a quarter second and adjusted their angle, allowing the car behind them to straighten itself out before re-connecting.

"Nice," he murmured.

"Bobby I think I'm gonna be able to get us pulled over pretty quick," she said, "Christ we're lucky the road's so quiet."

Indeed, now that they were going straight again Alex had managed to slow them down to under 35, and the speedometer was steadily decreasing. Bobby took a few seconds to relay to the operator what he could see through the back window.

"Driver is female, mid-thirties, might be pregnant. Appears to be disoriented but not unconscious, no visible injuries. The car is packed with household goods, there's a bunch of stuff wrapped in garbage bags bungeed to the roof rack."

"Drunk, stroke or diabetic coma," Alex muttered.

"Are there any other occupants in the vehicle?" The operator asked.

"There's, uh, a cat carrier with a seatbelt around it in the front passenger seat." For some reason Bobby found the image both sweet and kind of sad.

Pulling over onto the berm wasn't the cakewalk it should have been after Alex's vehicular sleight-of-hand, and in the end they'd coasted to a stop precariously close to the ditch that ran along the highway. Because of that, Bobby couldn't get out of the SUV from his side, and by the time he'd shuffled over to Alex's open door she'd already thrown down flares and traffic cones from their standard emergency equipment, and once he was on his feet outside she handed him a reflective hazard vest with a smile. "Safety first! Put it on, Bobby," she said, "We haven't come all this way to get mowed down by the fire department."

He felt the goofy look on his face before he saw her smirk. Did she realise how amazing this was? How amazing _she_ was? Did she know what went through his mind about her _all the time_?

Aah well, now was not the time for that conversation. The area secured (as best it could be in the driving snow) Bobby hastened to the driver's side door of the little car while nimble Alex climbed monkey-like over the hood to get to the passenger side.

As his partner put the car in park and turned on the hazards, he began relaying information. "Operator, you still there," he said into his bluetooth.

_If you have read this far but can't review because you're juggling fire and scrolling only with the power of your mind, I understand. :D_

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**A/N 2:** The Matrix: Revolutions was on while I was writing this. Made it easier to write the exciting bits. And the hot bits. This fic is finished, and will be complete in 4 short chapters once I edit them.

WORDS: 1439 UPLOADED Sunday, January 6, 2013


	2. A BABE IN THE WOODS

**A/N 1:** Sorry if it's confusing, but I've changed the chapter titles.

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**CHAPTER TWO: A BABE IN THE WOODS**

Alex hefted the cat carrier into the back seat of the SUV on shaky legs. The past 10 minutes were without a doubt the biggest adrenaline rush she'd felt since… looking over her shoulder at her partner the image and body memory of their armed standoff flashed across her consciousness. This memory would be better, she assured herself.

It had certainly started out better… their investigation in New Jersey had been smooth and pleasant, and she'd actually been pleased when Bobby didn't fight for custody of the suspect. A nice quiet drive back, clock out at a decent hour… who knows? Anything might happen.

And anything did. Nothing Alex had ever done in theory or practice could have prepared her for the feeling of the familiar Explorer with a tonne of dead weight bearing down on it. The steering was different, the way the wheels gripped the road… she'd been dead afraid of even touching the brakes, with no idea how the vehicles would respond.

The plight of that poor woman weighed heavily on her mind as she'd tried to navigate them all to safety. The thought of the back car spinning out and rolling off the road filled her lungs like the stench of a cold London fog, sharpening her senses and slowing everything to a crawl in her mind's eye.

But there next to her had been Bobby, calmly explaining to the operator that he was in the car with Wonder Woman. Or so it had seemed to her. She was so lucky to have his brilliance, his unwavering confidence, she was so lucky to have _him_.

As she secured their unimpressed four-legged passenger – moved to make room for the EMTs when they arrived – she could hear Bobby's running commentary to the operator. "She has a Medicalert bracelet, diabetes. I'm looking for a blood sugar monitor now. OK found it, checking…"

The woman appeared to be at least 7 months pregnant, a cause of temporary diabetes, but if she had pre-existing Type 1, that could be a major complication. Type 1 diabetes was the reason her sister couldn't carry a foetus to term; never being able to get a handle on her blood sugar levels, she'd miscarried four times before her tenth week.

Alex grabbed all the sugar packets and food she could find in the Explorer just in case. It was so cold and windy that the snow wouldn't stick; instead it blew around them in eddies and whorls, dancing across the thick black ice on the highway and piling up against the line of trees on either side of the road.

"…is really low. I'm looking for sugar pills, Eames?" She did another half-roll across the hood and sank down into the passenger seat. Bobby was on his knees at the driver's side, and with difficulty she suppressed her anxiety at his proximity to the road. Traffic had been quiet on this rough-weather day, and Bobby was careful, and…

"Yeah I brought some sugar packets, a can of iced tea and our leftover lunch. I can also grab the emergency rations if we need them." Examining the car, it looked like a Hail Mary relocation had brought this young mother-to-be to this lonely stretch of New Jersey Highway. The car was packed to the gills with luggage and household items, and the blankets folded on the back of the passenger seat told Alex that someone had probably been sleeping here.

"She's too out of it to chew right now. I found some sugar pills in her purse, can you crack the iced tea and we'll see if she can sip a bit?" Bobby gently opened the woman's mouth, holding her head steady, and placed four of the little pills under her tongue, all the while speaking to her in a soft, calm voice. Alex opened the can and handed it to him, then rummaged in the woman's purse for a cell phone while he urged the victim to swallow.

She found the cell and scrolled through the woman's contacts while Bobby gave an update to the operator. She handed him the vic's wallet, and he relayed her information as well. Alex found an entry labelled 'MOM' and dialled it; the ringing at the other end was echoed by the distant, insistent sound of approaching sirens. "Finally," her partner muttered.

"Hi Julie," Alex heard when someone eventually picked up.

This at least was familiar. "Hello," she said in a kind but firm voice, "Actually this is Detective Alex Eames of the NYPD. I'm with your daughter on the Palisades Highway in New Jersey. She's had a medical emergency that forced her off the road."

"Oh my God, is it the baby?"

Following procedure, Alex reassured the woman as best she could without saying anything that she couldn't back up, and then she noticed that the vic was coming around. "Ma'am, your daughter is not fully conscious yet, but it might help for her to hear your voice. Would you like to speak to her? Don't be alarmed if you don't get too much of a response." Alex put the phone on speaker and was cheered when the excited words from the other end of the line elicited a weak 'Mom?' from the ailing mother-to-be.

Just then the fire trucks arrived, closely followed by the police and ambulance, and the energy and noise level instantly quadrupled. Alex heard Bobby relay a summary of the vic's status, followed by the exclamations of surprise and admiration when he explained how they'd gotten the sick woman safely to the side of the road. "I can't believe you managed that manoeuvre, and in these conditions!" "Oh, actually my, ah, my partner does the driving." Alex smiled, both at the pride in his voice and in relief, happy to let him run interference for once.

The EMTs were all over the vic, and after assuring 'Mom' that she shouldn't try to come to the crash scene, Alex got the details of where they were taking her daughter and texted the data through using her own phone. The local police arranged for a tow, and she sent on that info as well. Right before they loaded Julie, Alex pressed the phone into her hand so she could talk to her mom en route.

"You two need a tow?" the head of the fire crew asked Alex after the ambulance left, sirens screaming.

"Nah thanks, it's drivable," she replied. Now that the vic was out of the picture, all attention had turned to her; she could see Bobby shuffling around the Explorer and resolved to get them both out of there as fast as possible. "There's a cat, though, can we turn over custody of it to you?" With the firefighter's agreement they fished the protesting feline from the back seat, and Alex shook his gloved hand in farewell.

"Thanks for being there, Detective," he said, "And that was some great driving, one for the record books."

"I appreciate it," she muttered.

"Tank, I need a pilot program for a 1991 Honda Civic," was the last thing she heard from the fire crew as she climbed into the SUV.

_Are you reading this on your internet-enabled data goggles while rescuing a litter of kittens from a burning building? If so, do NOT leave a review. I repeat. Step away from the review button._

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WORDS: 1258 UPLOADED Tuesday, January 8, 2013


	3. AFTER MORE THAN A DECADE, UNMASKED

**A/N 1:** I am so flattered and thrilled by the response to this fic! Thank you all so much for taking the time to give feedback, and THANK YOU for sticking with the Fandom. B/A still lights my fire after four years, I'm glad I'm not the only one.

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**CHAPTER THREE: AFTER MORE THAN A DECADE, UNMASKED**

"Pull over."

They'd only been driving for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts.

"What? Why?"

Bobby was already undoing his seatbelt and pulling on his gloves. "I'm gonna walk for a bit. Drive a half-mile and wait for me, and I'll catch up," he said over his shoulder as he opened the door and hopped out.

"What? Bobby, it's getting dark!" The false twilight they'd been travelling in all day was giving way to actual sundown, and worry warred with irritation as she saw him wave and start shuffling along the shoulder.

Sighing, she pulled out onto the highway and then back onto the shoulder after a half-mile. When fifteen minutes passed, she pulled on her hat and gloves, fastened her parka and got out of the SUV. After a few more minutes she began to get concerned, but then she saw his hulking form lumbering towards her.

In the dwindling light she could still make out the details of her partner's face. His eyes were glued to her as he shuffled up to the back of the Explorer where she was standing, arms crossed. It was so quiet she could hear the snow falling against the rhythmic click of the four-way flashers.

After a minute or so, she spoke. "You getting in?" She asked.

"I dunno," was his irksome reply.

"What were you doing back there?" She waved vaguely at the disappearing road behind them.

"Cooling off," he said with a shrug. She knew he wasn't referring to the temperature.

"Did it work?"

"No."

Alex fell silent with a shake of her head. "I don't get you," she eventually said. "Are you angry?"

"No," he said, still staring at her.

"Cuz you seem it. Actually you seem like you're looking to pick a fight."

He sighed. "Maybe."

_Maybe_. Alex looked at her partner and couldn't decipher the complex maelstrom of signals he was sending her. Well if he wanted a fight, she would be happy to oblige. Perhaps it would help him blow off some steam.

"What's going on Bobby?" she pressed.

"I – can't be here right now, Alex." _Alex? _He started rocking from foot to foot, a sure sign he was having trouble saying what he felt he needed to say. Now she was a tiny bit worried, what was this?

"Well you are here, Detective," she said acidly, "What are you gonna do about it?"

Bobby hunched his shoulders and she wondered, did he realise that she was playing a role for his benefit? Did it matter? "Get off my back," he growled.

"_Get. Off. Your. Back?" _She imbued the words with all the righteous indignation she could muster, despite her wholly-inappropriate instinct to give him a hug. Or more. Her partner's eyes were pure black, there was a prowling, predatory hunch to his shoulders, and he licked his lips as he looked her up and down…

Bobby had often lost his temper around her, but to her recollection he'd never allowed himself to get really angry _at_ her. The fact that he felt safe enough to do so now was refreshing, and frankly arousing.

She manufactured a look of contempt for her partner. "Please. Running away again? Will I get into work tomorrow to find your desk cleaned out?"

He took a few steps towards her. "Don't push me."

"Don't make me."

Bobby took her by the shoulders and shoved her none too gently into the back of the SUV. The sound that began as an atavistic growl soon resolved into words.

"You are _magnificent_. I. Love. You. And you're mine."

The raw passion of his words took her breath away. She stood almost gasping, barely upright her knees were so weak, as her partner looked at her, his expression desperate, hungry, vulnerable.

How could she be certain to say the right thing? For him and for her. This was a man who for a long time didn't believe he was lovable, that he had a right to be happy. This was also a man whose intentions she was entirely unsure of. She quirked an eyebrow. "You only get to have me if you're gonna do something with me."

For a moment they both hung in stasis, eyes locked. His expression registered utter shock… god, she loved to surprise him. For her part she could feel her own hunger and vulnerability showing on her face.

When they finally moved it was towards each other. He cradled her gently, but his kiss was blistering, sliding his whole tongue in her mouth at one go in a surprising but welcome invasion. His lips, his whiskers, the smell of his skin and his aftershave… his hands, one at her hip and the other curled around her neck to support, not control.

His body. Hard, oh my so hard in so many places in so many ways. _You're mine._ Her hands and arms tried to gain purchase but he was so bulky in his parka that she could barely hang on. His huge tongue took ownership of her mouth, exploring while she caressed it with hers and gently bore down with her teeth.

After what seemed like forever, out of the corner of her eye she saw one of the fire trucks approaching, and at her tiny noise of protest, Bobby instantly withdrew. His eyes were wild and he was breathing heavily, and though he looked at her with a bit of apprehension, he barked a laugh when she smiled at him. "Get in," she said.

"Yes ma'am," he replied.

The fire truck honked as it went by, then a few seconds later she got a call from one of the firefighters asking if they were OK. She explained that they were a tiny bit shaken up and had stopped for a few minutes to chill, and he seemed to accept the explanation.

When she got into the SUV they were both grinning. She suggested he call Captain Hannah to give him an update, and he agreed.

The trip back to 1PP was unremarkable. Bobby stared at her boobs the whole way.

_Is someone yelling into your earpiece, "CUT THE RED WIRE!"? If so, please don't review. But, may I suggest, go with your gut? The earpiece screamers are almost always wrong…_

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WORDS: 1112 UPLOADED Friday, January 11, 2013


	4. AFTER THE BIG REVEAL

**A/N 1:** Thanks for joining me on this journey. I'm closing in on 1 published fic for each year of my life! My goal is to stay ahead of that curve.

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**CHAPTER FOUR: AFTER THE BIG REVEAL**

They would have simply dropped off the Explorer, signed out and gone home, but Hannah had requested a debriefing – not only on the highway rescue, but – oh yeah, on the case that had taken them out of town in the first place.

"So why didn't you arrest that mutt on behalf of the people of the city of New York and bring him back with you?" their Captain asked when they finished their report.

Bobby's gormless look told her that no suave answer would be forthcoming from that quarter, so she quickly explained that the allegations levelled against the perp in New Jersey had been for crimes that pre-dated their claim on him. "We can still bring a case against him, Captain, we know exactly where to find him."

"Next time you two, kindly remember that you work for the citizens of our state, not New Jersey, and conduct yourselves accordingly." Alex felt about 2 inches tall after those words, and a look at Bobby told her he felt the same.

"Sorry Captain," they both mumbled.

Hannah shook his head. "Don't sweat it. If you'd had him in custody your daredevil stunt would have been a lot more of a challenge, so I suppose everything worked out." She nodded and Bobby let out a big sigh. "Speaking of," he wagged a finger at Alex, "That was some driving, Detective. I've already heard from the vic's mother, the Fire Chief, the Governor of New Jersey and a Sergeant of the Highway Patrol. The two of you are gonna be up for a slew of commendations, and Palmieri wants to know if he can put you on the roster for the motorcycle skills competition."

"Motorcycle? I don't think so," Alex replied wryly. "But thank you Captain, we did our best, and we're glad it worked out."

"Eames was amazing," Bobby gushed, and Alex felt a blush creeping up her throat. "I mean that kind of a move, even in good weather, and steering out of a skid with that dead weight behind, and, uh…" he trailed off, waving his arms.

"Thanks," she said. What she wanted to add was that Bobby was amazing too, that he lifted her up and made her feel like she could do anything, that his gentle, respectful, effective treatment of the victim had been beyond anything she could have imagined much less done, and that she never felt scared because he was beside her. "Bobby was great too, especially with the vic. We were alone with her for over 10 minutes, he did all the right things to take care of her," was what she actually said.

"OK you two," Hannah replied, "I think we all know what you did and what it means, and I'd expect no less. Were you checked out by EMTs at the scene?"

"No need, Captain," Bobby replied. "The airbags didn't even deploy," he boasted.

"So, the only thing left is the Explorer. I've put in a req for a new vehicle, you can pick it up tomorrow. I'll put in the paperwork to explain the damage. Go get some rest, you've earned it. As usual."

Hannah dismissed them with a wave, but they hung back long enough to ask if he'd heard any updates on the woman and her unborn child. Hannah told them that she was single, no dad in the picture, and had decided to move home because managing her health issues were too difficult on her own. The fire chief he'd spoken to told their Captain that she was just shy of 7 months along, stable, and looked to be 'out of the woods' so-to-speak.

"Thanks Captain, see you tomorrow," Bobby said as they departed.

Alex led them to the elevator feeling exhausted, excited and nervous. Maybe Bobby would come back to her apartment with her. Maybe he'd kiss her in the car. Maybe…

"Alex," her partner murmured, and she felt a puff of breath against the side of her head.

"Yeah?" she said, looking at the top button of his coat.

"There were a lot of other things I wanted to say in there, but I, ah, got a bit tongue-tied."

"Me too," she whispered.

A slightly awkward silence kept them company in the elevator; when they got out at the lobby, they both spoke at once.

"Can I walk you down to your car?"

"Would you like a ride home?"

Alex started laughing and Bobby joined her. "Yes please," they both said.

The breezy confidence that had followed her from her partner's kiss all the way to the Captain's office was giving way to shy self-consciousness, and she spent most of the stop-start drive out of Manhattan lost in thought. Should she wait for him to set the tone for their next steps? Did she need to 'talk' about it?

She decided 'no' and 'no', but reading the body language of the big man next to her, she thought he might be the one who wanted to talk.

"For someone so good with words, you get tongue-tied a lot, Bobby," she said gently.

"When it comes to you," was his rueful reply.

"Is that why you decided to go with action instead?"

He was silent for a long time. "Did I make a mistake?" He finally asked.

"Nonononono," she said, pulling her right glove off with her teeth and reaching blindly for the general direction of his hand. She hit his upper thigh instead, and his startled jump almost put his head through her sunroof. He grabbed her hand off his thigh and held it tight.

"Alex, you, I, you… must know how I feel about you?" He squeezed her hand so hard it hurt, but it was a good hurt.

"I do now," she quipped.

He barked a laugh and his quiet tension seemed to give way. The animated Bobby in its place was somehow bigger, louder, dragging her attention away from the road.

"That driving, was _so hot_," he gushed, "I was wound as tight as a, a…" he gestured vaguely to outline the object he was as tight as. "I couldn't be in the car with you, I didn't know what I was gonna do."

Alex wanted to blush and cover her eyes and sink into the ground and jump out of the car and run around barefoot in the snow, but all she could do was laugh.

"The walk didn't seem to do much," she remarked drily.

"It wasn't long enough," he lamented. "And when I saw the Explorer, there you were all bundled up waiting for me and it was like, I was back at square one."

"I've waited for you a hundred times behind that car, Bobby," she groused.

"Yes, and you were irresistible each and every time," he replied.

"Irresistible…" she muttered.

"And you don't usually pick fights with me," he said, turning his big body and all his attention towards her. The look of her partner confident, on the hunt, was familiar to her, but she wasn't used to being the object of his pursuit. She saw and felt his eyes move over her as she twitched, restlessly changed her grip on the wheel, and licked her lips.

"Please, you practically begged me to," she replied, stumbling a bit over the words.

"I know, and it was _so… hot_," he said, and laughed with her when she giggled at the corny words. "I was a goner Alex," he said, glancing out the window as she changed lanes. "I had all this – these – I just couldn't hold it in any more. _I needed you to know_," he said with finality.

"And then when you said that I could only have you if I was gonna do something with you…" he looked at her with something like awe. "You are so sly, Alex Eames. An answer worthy of a Sphinx."

She squeezed his hand. "I'm glad you think so."

"Did you mean it?" was his surprising rejoinder.

"Absolutely," she replied. "Did you?"

"Absolutely."

**o.o.o.o.o**

After that Bobby seemed content to sit, relaxed, staring out the window, and for her part Alex was relieved to be done talking about _feelings_. Her partner kept hold of her hand, holding his out in front of the radio when she needed hers back briefly to steer. As she pulled into an open spot across from his apartment, Alex held tighter, hoping he wouldn't be in a hurry to get out.

"Alex," he said, turning towards her again. "I'd like to invite you in," he said softly, "But we have work tomorrow."

"And?" she asked cheekly, so not wanting their time together to end.

Her partner's soft face took on a pained look, and she realised the folly of her suggestion. Instead she leaned in, tugging him to within her eager reach. His lips were so soft and full when she kissed him, not as much tongue, just soft nips and caresses. This time she got her hands under his coat, and she felt the rumble of a groan from his mouth to hers as she squeezed and caressed him through only a couple of layers of fabric. She'd left her coat open purposely hoping he'd do the same, and she wasn't disappointed. The sensation of his hands, familiar to her from thirteen years of platonic congress, thrilled her as he chastely explored her body. She was touching her partner and he was touching her! "Wait," she gasped as she became aware of the limitations of their respective locations.

As before he withdrew with alacrity, and she wasted no time getting out of the car and coming around to the passenger side. He opened the door and held his arms out to her, and she seated herself in his lap.

They kissed for fifteen minutes or so, but it felt like heaven and it felt like forever. She could feel his intoxicating arousal, and she hoped he knew he did the same to her. He wrapped his arms tight around her, burying his face in the crook of her neck. "I gotta get outta here Alex, or we're never gonna be able to stop."

"I know," she said huskily, reaching for the door handle. She straightened her clothing as she walked back to the driver's side, and when she got in her partner was retrieving his portfolio off the back seat and fishing for his keys.

He got out with a perfunctory 'good night', but stopped by her door when she rolled down her window.

"I meant what I said Alex," he said, leaning down to kiss her one last time, "Every word."

"Me too," she replied with a smirk.

_Did the Bat Signal just come on? If so, just… just go. No need to review, everything you do for the citizens of Gotham is more than enough._

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**A/N 2:** At the last minute, I'd had an instinct to put in a little chapter between 2 and 3 from Goren's POV, to give some build-up to his kiss. I feel like maybe my readers were missing that, and I'm sorry, but in the end I couldn't come up with enough plot to support even a short chapter. But I beefed up the ending for you, I hope that suffices.

WORDS: 1924 UPLOADED Tuesday, January 15, 2013


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